Today’s newsletter is presented by Jackalope Art Fair.
Good morning, San Diego ☀️
Here’s what we have for you today:
- The heat wave around San Diego County is expected to last through the week.
- Early statistics show a slight drop in the amount of unhoused people around the county.
- Sewage contamination forced a beach closure in IB to be extended over the weekend.
Brooke Binkowski
News editor
Top story
Should La Jolla Cove close to protect sea lions? San Diego faces mounting pressure
I was a kid the first time I encountered a pinniped at La Jolla Cove.
If you’re a child who loves to swim, the cove is where it’s at. It’s filled with wonderful huge boulders with little orange garibaldi and mottled rockfish darting among them, and crabs and lobsters and always the possibility of sharks.
Back then, though, there were few seals or sea lions in the cove, so when I spotted a large dark shape swimming toward me, I assumed at first that it was a person. It swam right up to me, and I realized it was a playful seal.
I dove down to the sand and the seal dove after me. The seal rolled over, and so did I. I swam underwater, and the seal swam around me in circles. It was magical.
And then I went back up to the surface.
“YOU ARE TOO CLOSE TO THAT SEAL. IT IS A FEDERALLY PROTECTED SPECIES. PLEASE SWIM AWAY.” I looked around gleefully to find the culprit, but no one else was in the water. In fact, everyone I could see was on shore, and they all seemed to be glaring at me.
The swim back from the rocks I had been playing on was very brief – anyone who has ever been to the cove knows exactly where I mean, the ones that jut out from the cliff’s side but are only above water during low tide – but it seemed to last forever. The humiliating walk to my towel lasted even longer.
Today, the seals have made the Children’s Pool and La Jolla Cove their home. They’ve become as much a part of the scenery – and as much of a tourist attraction – of any of the rest of the wildlife there.
But as pinnipeds and humans coexist, interactions go up – and that includes instances of cruelty.
Now, following a viral video of a man repeatedly kicking a sea lion (for which he was successfully prosecuted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act), San Diego officials are debating how best to protect sea lions at La Jolla Cove and the Children’s Pool, while still preserving public access to one of the most remarkable parks in the country.
The Seal Society of San Diego, a volunteer program that exists to promote how to safely view of local harbor seals and sea lions, is calling on the city to protect the pinnipeds at La Jolla Cove and the Children’s Pool; more than 21,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling on the city to close Children’s Pool to the public.
It remains up in the air whether officials will, or even should, close those beaches, if even temporarily. You can read all about it in our top story today by Thomas Murphy.
I would like to offer an alternative solution: intense public shaming. I never, ever forgot that endless walk to my beach, and now only say hello to pinnipeds the correct way — from a very respectful distance.
And now some personal news: I’m moving on and heading back to the nationals, where I’ll be writing about counterdisinformation and politics. I’ll still be based around San Diego, though, so keep an eye out for me, probably at the library. I’ve had a great time here at Times of San Diego and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my articles as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.
Take good care of yourselves, and so long — for now.
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Stories you should know about
⚡ MarketInk: Chargers sign on with Spanish-language radio partner: The Bolts have inked a multi-year partnership with TelevisaUnivision’s two L.A.-based, Spanish-language radio stations.
🏠 Report: Federal spending fails to make California affordable: Despite receiving $81.4 billion from HUD during 2015-2024, California remains one of the least affordable states to live in the U.S.
🪫Imperial Valley dreamed of a lithium boom. It just hit another roadblock: A state appeals court found that the county’s environmental impact report contains “insufficient evidence” that the project could secure enough water for the lithium project’s expected lifespan.
🧑🎓Opinion: Why are Mexican students still coming to the U.S.?
Times of San Diego thanks our corporate sponsors. Find out more about sponsorships and advertising opportunities here.
Step back in time…
What was the name of this grocery store located on Newport Avenue? Hint: This chain no longer exists in California and is currently located Illinois, Texas, New York, Alabama and a few other states. Reply first to get a shoutout in tomorrow’s newsletter!
